Happily, in my element....When we were staying in the Sine Saloum Delta area, we had lovely accommodations which I think I already mentioned. Something special happened there for me. I was invited by the women of the kitchen to come and cook with them. It was a good chance to talk to them about their lives. They were also very curious about my life in Canada.
When I told them that I didn't need my husband's permission to come to Africa, they were completely silent. You could see the wheels turning as they processed that bit of information. One of the women said that her husband would "me taper bien fort" if she were to disobey him, adding that a good man is hard to find. I said that I had a very good husband!
I had lunch with the women; a rich, spicy fish stew served in a common bowl over rice. We all sat around the bowl, making room for each other much like we did as children playing choo choo. As I ate, I kept discovering little bits of fish, expertly deboned , in front of me. The woman next to me was taking good care of me.
What a lovely compliment, to be invited into the women's kitchen. The conversation sounded like a reminder of just how autonomous Canadian women are and how good that is.
ReplyDeleteKathryn